Known as the Queen of the Catskills, Stamford was once a booming vacation town that offered big hotels and a nice getaway from the city life. It still is a great town and you can enjoy it how it is supposed to be enjoyed. This little town is not travelled by many and a hotel room can be hard to find, but this town has some great places that you can not miss if you visit the Catskills!!

The best hiking in Stamford can be found at Mount Utsayantha. This popular mountain top was once used for Hang gliding and festivals. The road up to the top has deteriorated in the past couple of years, but it makes for a wonderful hike with great views at the top of this wonderful mountain. Make sure you travel there within the next couple of years because developers have found this diamond and are starting to restore the big hotels of the early 20th century. This town is very peaceful and a great getaway from the hustle and bustle of NYC life, but don't wait long!!

Hike #1: Mount UtsayanthaThis trail can either be started down at RT 23 or you can drive all the way up to the top. There is a dirt road that you can park at the bottom of and it is a short walk to the top of this mountain, but the views at the top are just great. It is about 1.2 miles from Rt 23 to the top of the mountain, but it is a decently steep climb. It can be as easy or as hard as you want to make it depending upon how far up you start your climb. This hike is perfect for hikers of different ability. I would recommend dropping off the hikers that want to hike the whole mountain at rt 23 while the other hikers drive up to the road where it turns left and is a dirt road. The hike from here is pretty easy and the beginner hikers can relax and have a picnic ready for the more experienced hikers meet up. After the picnic start continue the hike to thebeautiful scenic top of the mountain. Have fun, this is a great hike!!